The Explorer
by librarian21
Summary: A first person narrative set in A Song of Ice and Fire. A maester sets out to expand the map of the known world. An Original Character.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: The purpose of my story is to explore places I want to go to in the established universe of ASOIAF. The character is supposed to be me. I intend for this character to explore many more places not visited in the books. **

The Explorer

I hated my assignment. I would have much rather be maester of a castle for any lord in the Reach. Alas, I was chosen by the council to map and explore new territories of the known world. It would be extremely dangerous and I was all but certain that I would die on one of my future expeditions. My first mission was to ascend the highest mountain on the continent of Westeros.

Here I was in a village known as Pass in the last inn I would enjoy before entering the wilderness. The dangers that lurked in the mountains of the Vale would for the most be the savage hill tribes. It would have been absurd for any man to travel alone in this dangerous place. Yet that is what I had to do for a significant stretch of my journey. From Oldtown to Pass I had been given an escort of six banner men from House Hightower. Flying the rainbow banner of peace we were able to travel unmolested through the South all the way to the mountainous border of the Vale and the River lands. Such was the opportunities of peacetime in the Seven Kingdoms.

Now was where my leisurely travel ended and I was about to enter lawless lands of the hill tribes. All I had with me were whatever coin I could offer, my bottles of elixirs, my travel supplies and my skills. For this assignment I had been given some limited training in combat and stealth. That would not be enough so Mace Tyrell, Warden of the South and Lord of Highgarden had reluctantly given the Citadel some gold and a promise of a lordship for the sellswords or hill tribe I would bribe to escort me through the Mountains of the Moon.

There were unconfirmed stories of a mountain that was almost twice as high as the Eyrie somewhere in the southern end of the Mountains of the Moon west of Redfort. If such a mountain existed, it would indeed be the highest mountain in all of Westeros south of the Wall. This mountain was rumoured to be sighted by the occasional traveling merchants and bards on cloudless days. And here I was, a maester of the Citadel going to climb it. _This is absolute madness… _

I stepped out of the room of the inn to go to the tavern for a mug of warm ale. It would be my last in perhaps weeks if not ever.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: reviews motivate me!**

When I returned to the room, I laid out all my supplies on the bed to make sure I was not missing anything and to assess how long I would be able to survive in the wilderness. I had my only other change of clothes, a supply of dried meat that could last five days if rationed, my skin of water, my robe filled with little bottles of elixirs in various pockets, my climbing gear, my tinder box, my bow and a quiver of ten arrows and a short sword. I was as ready as I would ever be.

The next morning after paying the bill and leaving the inn, I started for the outskirts of the town when I noticed some banner men and knights by the torch post in the centre of town preparing to leave. The banner they were flying was the leaping trout of House Tully. I approached one of the knights and asked who they were escorting in the Vale.

"Mark Tully" he replied curtly. After a brief moment of reviewing my memory, I recognized his name Mark Tully was the lord of a cadet branch of the Tullys of Riverrun. I asked the knight where they were headed.

"The Eyrie" he replied again curtly as if he were in no mood for a conversation or was distracted. I then had an idea. The Eyrie was in the same direction I was headed for at least half a day's ride on horseback. If I could travel with them even for the short distance, my safety would be assured for just a little bit longer. So I approached Mark Tully who was sitting on a bench nearby. He was a slim man of mid height in his mid-twenties with a thick mane of auburn hair. He looked somewhat bored and eager to get moving soon.

"Pardon me my lord," I began, "I am a maester of the Citadel on an assignment. My direction is the same as yours for about ten leagues or so from here. May I join you and your escort for that distance? I assure you I will not be a burden and will pay you in coin for it. All I require is a horse to ride"

"A maester? What is your assignment" he asked.

"I have been sent to draw out new areas of the Vale. I am to ascend what might be the highest mountain in Westeros" I replied. He then looked at me with intense interest.

"I would think you are a fool for going into the Vale on your own. You would not last a day. The hill tribes haunt the wilderness and prey on the weak. And yet… you intrigue me nonetheless. Maesters are resourceful are they not?"

"Yes my lord. Will you agree escort me for the short distance?" I asked.

"You may travel with us. I will let you ride in our supply wagon. I will even offer you a better sword than that short thing you carry there. Under one condition. If you successfully ascend this mountain you speak of despite my doubts, you are to name it after me" I did not know what to do. It would not go well when the Tyrells and the Hightowers found out about this deal. I chose my words carefully.

"I'm afraid my superiors and backers will frown upon such an act"

"Then your allegiance is to me now. I offer you a place in my castle. I assure you that I have much to offer you" I did not want to offend the man so I nodded. In the future I would need to send a raven to the king so he could settle the dispute over the naming of the mountain. The king might decree the mountain be named after himself. I wanted no part in the issue. Besides, the issue of naming the mountain was for the future as I was not even sure I'd live to name it.

"Very good. Now, get on the wagon"


	3. Chapter 3

Half a day passed very quickly. After short journey from the village of Pass I stood there looking upon it. There it was for all who travelled this dangerous road to behold; the unnamed mountain that stood above all other mountains of the continent and for many the world. It was a clear summer day so the mountain could be seen from miles around. It was a snow capped spire that stood like a sail over a cluster of other mountains going beyond the treeline which in turn stood over valleys, forests, rivers and rolling hills. The mountain was made of dark grey rock which made the mountain appear blue from many leagues away. The mountain was to the south of the road to The Eyrie and had a sharp ridge on its northern slope. That ridge was to be my path because the rest of the mountain looked too steep to climb. Just beyond the clearing that was the road was the dark forest which I was to venture in to.

The mountain was well known among the valemen. They had various names for it like The Sail or The Steps. When passing travellers were unable to agree on what to name the mountain, King Robert had decreed that whomever ascended to the top of the mountain first would be allowed the honour of naming the mountain. The Lords of Westeros preferred to win glory though tourneys and wars so the maesters of the Citadel had jumped at the opportunity to name it. While many were eager to go in my place, the Council had chosen my name from a barrel of metal coins. I had not volunteered but that was how many decisions were made in the Citadel.

"I wish you all the best Maester William" said Mark Tully standing beside me with a hand on my left shoulder. I merely feigned a smile and nodded. This lord like all the other lords who had in whatever minor way assisted me on the way here wanted the honour of having the mountain named after them. It was not long before Lord Tully left me by the side of the road on my own. His escort was gone in a matter of minutes.

I sat on a boulder by the side of the road looking back on my life and wondering how much longer I had left. I thought about my mother and father in Pentos. I thought about my friends in the Citadel. I thought about the fact that I had never experienced the love of a woman. I wondered if there ever was a purpose for my life. But I also vowed that I would not lose my will to live and whatever rewards I may receive for successfully ascending the mountain, my first demand would be to be loved by somebody.

When I finished my quiet contemplation, I got up and looked at the mountain and estimated the distance and time it would take to reach the summit. It would take at least the rest of the day and tomorrow to get through the forested valley and to reach the base of the mountain. It would take another two days to get past the treeline and ascend at least two false summits before reaching the ridge of the tall mountain. And finally if the weather permitted it, I could reach the summit in just one day if I pressed hard enough. My return journey to the village of Pass would take three days. That was eight days in which I could very easily die.

Somewhere out there I knew I would encounter hill tribes. I would need to either hide from them, bribe them or fight them. The third option was only possible if there was only two tribesmen. The second option remained a possibility, but the hill tribes were known for taking pleasure in their kills and the price for their restraint would likely be too many promises of wealth the Citadel could not keep. The first option was my best chance at surviving an encounter from the hill tribes. I had been trained in the art of stealth and disguise. While I was no faceless man, I knew I would make a good assassin.

And so I took my first step into the wilderness…


	4. Chapter 4

My first night in the forest was uneventful but uneasy. I knew better than to start a fire so I just ate some of my dried meat and drank a little water. It was far from satisfying but it would last me perhaps three days without hunting. My shelter consisted of a hole in the ground with a crude roof constructed with tree branches. Sleep did not come easy however. While my cloak kept me warm, there were sounds in the night that terrified me. Alongside the sounds of insects, I heard the howl of wolves and the shriek of a night bird. I'd have found sleep sooner if I had a companion to keep watch for hill tribes. After what seemed like half the night, sleep finally came.

The next day I woke up feeling very hungry and with a back ache. Ignoring the pain, I gathered my supplies and got up. The walk through the forest was pleasant but I kept vigilant for any passing hill tribes. The worst case scenario would be if I unwittingly stumbled into one of their primitive villages. The trees were too tall and dense for me to see the mountain, so I kept going south in a straight line. Over half the day passed before something happened.

I could hear the rustling of leaves from afar. I froze on the spot. I waited as the rustling grew louder and I began to hear voices. I was afraid, but I had been trained not to panic. Quickly I thought of what I had to do next. I began to climb the nearest tree. I ascended the pine tree as quickly as my arms and legs possibly could drag my body and supplies. My feet slipped frequently but my hands were quick to cling firmly to the bark of the tree and some lower branches. I was near the top in a matter of minutes. Ignoring the scrapes on my hands, I found a secure large branch to sit on.

Above I could see the mountain but I paid no attention to it as I looked below to keep an eye out for who was approaching. Most of the ground was obscured by trees except directly below me. I could not immediately see anyone but the distant voices grew louder. They were speaking in a language I did not recognize with guttural tones. Thinking fast I reached into one of my deep pockets and took out a little bottle of ghost perfume. I quickly pulled open the cap and dabbed a little on my forehead and on my cloak near my armpits. This perfume was seemingly odourless. But it could mask my body odours for up to two hours. Not even a dog could smell me out. Created in Braavos, this rare perfume was used by assassins to bypass guard dogs. I was completely invisible to anybody or anything with a nose. I knew that hill tribes were excellent hunters and they could smell their prey from afar.

After what seemed like an hour I saw them passing by directly below my tree. They were large men in dirty furs. I noticed some wore bone necklaces and all carried crude weapons from bone spears and rusty swords to slings. None of them carried a shield. One of them was however carrying a dead wild boar. I sat there in absolute silence as the savages passed by. Reassured that they were unaware of my presence, I felt a great sense of calm.

I waited until dark before I began to go down the tree. The hill tribe was hopefully leagues away by now. I walked for another hour in semi darkness before deciding to build a shelter for the night. Like the night before, sleep did not come easily. I was somewhat surprised to wake up the next morning and find myself still alive. I could not resist a smile at the fact that I had survived two nights in the wilderness and an encounter with the hill tribes all on my own. Not many travellers could say that. I might very well be the luckiest maester in all Westeros.

I got up and resumed my journey. Half a day passed until the terrain was going steadily uphill. I was on the right track. However I could not get rid of the feeling that soon my luck would run out.


	5. Chapter 5

The next two days went by surprisingly well. While my initial estimation was wrong as to how quickly I would get past the treeline, it did not bother me as I encountered no hill tribes. Every step I took toward the mountain was another small victory in my quest to ascend it. Every hour I made progress, every morning I woke up and did not encounter hill tribes was an even greater victory. I imagined myself as a conqueror from the history books. Like them I was building my kingdom. _I am Aegon the Conqueror_ I told myself. While I was not one to inflate my ego in front of nobles or commoners, I made myself believe in my greatness to boost my confidence, morale and determination which would give strength to my legs.

The cynic within me however kept telling me that eventually my luck would run out. As I went further uphill, the terrain became rockier and the trees were more sparsely apart. Soon I would be in alpine terrain. My food supply had run out. I knew I could survive days without food as long as I kept drinking water. However I was going to ascend the mountain and it was extremely important that I had the energy. It would be difficult to find any edible plants or any animals beyond the treeline so I had to find food now. I did not want to hunt because I feared wandering too far off my path would consume too much time and I was more likely to encounter hill tribes. So I searched for a nearby river or waterhole to go fishing. It did not take very long to find a fast flowing stream of icy water in a small valley. I refilled my water skin and drank as much water as I needed for a whole day. I then climbed a tree and cut several small branches to use for assembling a fish trap. Again I felt a sense of pride at all the skills I had picked up from my training in the Citadel. While many knights boasted of their skills in combat and jousting, they were utter fools when compared to the countless skills of a maester in medicine and in my case survival skills.

As I sat on a mossy boulder assembling the fish trap, I took some time to contemplate my future. As dangerous as this quest was, it was actually so much easier when compared to the future places the maesters of the Citadel wanted mapped next. Where would they send me next? There were plans for expeditions beyond the Wall, the unmapped continents of Sothoryos and Ulthos, beyond the Bone Mountains in Essos and even west beyond the Sunset Sea. On one of these expeditions I would meet my end if I would not be chosen to serve a lord in a castle. One fact was for certain: my life had infinite possibilities. Which was why I refused to believe my fate was already written. After I assembled the fish trap, I placed it into the stream before building my shelter for the night.

The next morning, I found my trap containing five fish and a few prawns as well. To my greater luck, I even found a bush of wild berries growing near the stream. I decided to take the risk of making a fire as I was unsure if my stomach could tolerate raw fish. I had to cook the fish quickly and the fire had to be extinguished just as quickly so as not to give too much time to alert any hill tribes in the area. It was then that my luck finally ran out. After finishing my breakfast, I felt a cold drop of water fall on the back of my neck. It began to rain. I got up and resumed my quest.

* * *

**AN: The next chapter will feature a chase and fight scene. Also, I value suggestions. What would you like my character to name the Mountain?**


	6. Chapter 6

With strong rain making my cloths heavier, it made my ascent up much more difficult. It took a while but the rain eventually seeped through my cloak and got to my skin. I shivered as I made my way further up the rocky slope. With little else to do, I continued to wonder if I could find any food on this mountain. With the rain, water would not be a problem. My food supply on the other hand was very limited. I considered hunting mountain goats or eating grass and moss.

My thoughts wandered from food to hill tribes. With no trees, there were almost no places to hide. These fears however, in an unusual way made me even more determined to push forward. Every step forward was a small victory that delayed my inevitable doom. With no fear, boredom would have slowed my efforts to reach the top.

My thoughts then wandered from hill tribes to my possible return to the Citadel. I would be reunited with my Maester chain. The council had given me permission to remove it and leave it behind as it would be a burden to carry up the mountain. Perhaps a new link would be in order. I also thought about how I would appease all the lords who had demanded that I ascend the mountain in their name. While that was of little importance at present, I toyed with the idea of what I would demand as a reward from whomever I named the mountain after.

These thoughts helped pass the time and distracted me from the cold and my aching knees. By the early afternoon I had successfully ascended the first false summit so I decided to take a break and assess how far I had to go and just look at the view. Looking around, I noticed I could not see very far forward or behind. The rain had become a fine drizzle and a thick fog obscured my line of sight beyond by perhaps half a league in all directions. There was little I could do to guess how much further and longer I still had to go to reach the summit. I could only optimistically guess that I'd make it early the following morning if the weather permitted it. After squeezing rain water out of my cloak, I continued my ascent.

Sometime later, I started hiking faster despite my aching legs and the cold because I knew that it would soon be dark. Suddenly I stopped. The fog was beginning to clear up and I had the feeling that I was being followed. I turned around and looked down. This time I could see as far down as the treeline. I noticed some movement. A person hundreds of meters down was ascending. I could not tell if he was a traveller or a tribesman, but he was closing the gap with me fast. Then one person became two and three and eventually over a dozen people were scrambling up the mountain. These were tribesmen! Nobody else would be traveling here so deep in the wilderness. I did not know if they had seen me, but I knew that they were following my trail.

I did not know what to do. Hiding behind boulders would do little good as tribesmen were excellent hunters and trackers. I could not fight them either. Pulling together all my courage to not panic, I resigned myself to my fate. But not without one last blaze of glory. I had elevation on my side.

I took my bow and looked around. I chose a large boulder to hide behind. It gave me no pleasure from what I had to do next. I was not a man of violence, but this was a struggle for survivalTaking out an arrow from the quiver on my back, I took aim and fired. **THRUM!** I watched as the arrow hit my first target. The tribesman fell on his back. The other tribesmen took notice and began to ascend the mountain faster. **THRUM!** I fired another arrow. My next target did not fall as I had hoped. The arrow must have penetrated only his leather armour.

By now I could hear the tribesmen shouting as they continued to charge uphill. The terrain would soon no longer be on my side. I continued to fire more arrows. All but one of my arrows hit their targets. But only two out of three targets were eliminated. The remaining tribesmen had now seen me and were now rapidly closing the distance gap. I had run out of arrows so I took out my leather sling and picked up stones. The stones would not eliminate my targets unless I hit them directly on the forehead. I had trouble hitting the targets. My seventh stone I shot hit a tribesman in the head with a loud **SMACK!**

After ten stones and only one successful hit, I gave up and unsheathed my short sword. It was not long until the first return shots were fired. I dodged three throwing axes and deflected a fourth with my sword!

Feeling exhausted I prepared for my final moments on earth and my first and only real combat with a sword. The first tribesman who approached me was about a foot taller than me and wore a rusty half helm. He wore furs over what little armour he had. He grinned exposing his broken and rotten teeth anticipating an easy but well-earned kill. I waited for him to attack but to my surprise he stood still as if waiting.

"I will enjoy killing you" said the first tribesman in the common tongue as dozens more tribesmen approached and surrounded me on all sides. For some unknown reason they did not attack "You have managed to evade us for more than a day and you have killed ten of us. For that you owe us your name before I plant an axe in your head" I thought for a moment before responding.

"Give me your name first wildling. I want to know the one who ends my sad existence"

"Very well. I am Ooh of the Unclean Ones. And you are…" he did not finish. An arrow had punctured his neck. The big tribesman collapsed with a loud thud on the rocky ground. Six other tribesmen fell before they knew what was happening. Thinking fast I stabbed one tribesman in the back when he turned to look where the arrow came from. The next one noticed my attack and blocked me with his rusty sword. Fighting one opponent, I paid no attention to the other tribesmen as they were preoccupied with an unseen enemy.

Despite being flustered my opponent fought well and I could not get the upper hand. Soon he had me taking steps back as he was onto me with a vicious offensive. I could hear the clang of steel from other battles as I continued to block blows that were coming at me at an increasing speed. My stamina was rapidly declining. I knew he would soon strike a life ending blow if there was no new random stroke of luck for me.

That stroke of luck came with a splatter of blood on my face as my opponent's arm was hacked off by a third sword. He fell to his knees and wailed in agony just before my rescuer cut his throat open. I stood there in shock as a battle raged on around me. My rescuers were fifteen well-armed banner men and knights. I collapsed to the ground in exhaustion and relief.

When the battle was over, twenty tribesmen lay dead and the others had retreated. I was helped up by a knight. He introduced himself as the leader of the group. What he said next surprised me.

"The High Stewart of the Vale Nestor Royce heard of what you are doing and sent us to find you. He invites you to the Eyrie when you complete your quest"

I burst out laughing. Another vain lord to appease!


End file.
